HOT 97’s Mister Cee: “Today, I’m Free”

Last week, DJ Mister Cee broke barriers with public declaration of desire for trans women – In a new PSA for AHF, Cee touts new sexual revolution as one of both freedom and health

On the heels of a public declaration that rocked the hip hop community last week, veteran DJ Mister Cee – a staple hip hop radio personality for over 20 years who has impacted the careers of such hip hop legends at Notorious B.I.G. and NAS –partnered with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) for a PSA on fighting the long-standing stigma of alternative sexual preferences in the hip hop world and speaking openly about sexual health.

“With the grace of family and good friends around me, they made me feel comfortable to exercise my human right for sexual freedom instead of finding myself being self-detained by the discrimination, judgment, criticism, and even violence from my own community,” Mister Cee, born Calvin LeBrun, said in the video.

In the PSA released Monday, Cee calls last week’s declaration “the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life,” but that it was time in both his personal and professional life to be honest about his sexual identity. He said everyone should be proud and honest about who they truly are – citing shocking statistics of HIV and STD rates among youth, black, and Latino populations that arise from deception – and declared the new sexual revolution to be one of both freedom of self and sexual health as a birthright, mirroring AHF’s new Sexual Revolution 2.0 campaign. He also directed viewers to seek STD testing and treatment through the Foundation’s freestdcheck.org website.

“I opened up to y’all today, I gave you all of me. Now I want you to give all of yourself: Are you good? Are you healthy? Are you free? I can tell you today, that today I’m free.”

DJ Mister Cee in AHF Public Service Announcement

The path to Cee’s declaration about receiving fellatio from trans women involved a bust by a male undercover police officer dressed as a transsexual prostitute, followed by a former sexual partner’s releasing an audio recording of the DJ soliciting a transgender woman for oral sex. Cee initially quit his job at HOT 97, but was encouraged to return by station program director Ebro Darden, to whom Cee emotionally opened up on air about his sexual identity last week.

The declaration lit up the Twittersphere over the weekend, and where some showed homophobic anger or blasé indifference, there was also a multitude of supportive Tweets indicating a preliminary shift in the previously unquestioned homophobic mentality permeating hip hop fans.

“I grew up listening to Mr. Cee. He is a legend. Doesn’t surprise me that the community is shaming him but I hope this reveals their prejudice,” and, “Big ups to Mr. Cee. We’re with you man. Stay Strong,” two posters declared on Friday.

“I opened up to y’all today, I gave you all of me,” Cee said in the PSA. “Now I want you to give all of yourself: Are you good? Are you healthy? Are you free? I can tell you today, that today I’m free.”